Cathy Cornett Shares Possibilities and Experiences with Students in 4-H and Science Olympiad

Middle: "Doodlebot"; Far Right L-R: Optimist President Terri Ellis, Cathy Corbett, and Optimist Member Beth Frieders

As a child, Cathy Corbett's dream job was to "do stuff, learn things, and never go to meetings." She thought she would like to be a veterinarian or work as a scientist at 3M. Today, Cathy is a Professor in the biology department at University of Wisconsin-Platteville. Outside of work, she and her husband, Chuck, work with the "Dairyland Diamonds" 4H group and Science Olympiad students in the Platteville School District. She started participating with these groups because she knew it mattered. She wanted to do "stuff" as a kid but didn't have many opportunities to do so. She wanted to help their kids and others get acquainted in their communities. Both groups are focused on activities that allow participants (children / students) to experiment in small group settings and learn. They don't always succeed quickly, or at all, but that is part of the learning.

Cathy spoke about "Family Project Day", which is a county wide event that will be held in Lancaster on February 14th. Twenty 4-H clubs in Grant County were invited to prepare a station at the event and they have 160 kids registered. Each club puts on a different activity. The Dairyland Diamonds will have "Doodlebots" for the participants to build. Cathy described the day as a "one large party" composed of a crazy wave of children. It's an opportunity for kids to build confidence, try something, succeed and/or blow it, and most importantly give them the whole perspective.

Cathy first got involved with Science Olympiad when their oldest daughter showed interest in it. She and her husband then became coaches for the kids. Science Olympiad is the only nationwide STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) organization. The teams travel to 3-4 competitions a year and hopefully advance to regional and state competitions. Their youngest child is currently a senior at Platteville High School and is a very competitive Olympiad.

Cathy shared that 4-H and Science Olympiad makes so many things possible and brings a lot out of kids...failures and successes. Both are importand and give them whole perspectives...because it matters!